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Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912 | www.dailytrojan.com | VOL. 174, NO. 62 | Friday November 18, 2011
InDEX 2 · Q & A 4 · Opinion 5 · Lifestyle 8 · Classifieds 9 · Crossword 12 · Sports
Controversial poet:
Amiri Baraka read
avant-garde
poetry to students
Wednesday night.
Autzen
assaults: USC
seeks to snap
Oregon’s
21-game home
winning streak
on Sunday.
sports 12
lifestyle 5
opinion 4
weather
Mostly Sunny
hi 60
lo 48
today tomorrow
Mostly Sunny
hi 59
lo 45
Admissions
By Sommer Yesenofski
Daily Trojan
The number of students from
India at USC declined from fall 2010
to fall 2011, following a growing
trend at universities across the
nation.
India ranked fourth among the
top geographic areas outside the
United States for USC enrollment
with 1,265 students from India
enrolled at USC, which represents
a 15 percent decrease over the last
academic year, according to the
Office of International Services.
This year there was a 1 percent
drop in the number of students
from India currently enrolled at
universities in the United States.
Students from India comprise 14.4
percent of international college
students in the United States, which
remains the most sought after
destination for Indian students,
according to the 2011 Open Doors
New students
from India at
USC decrease
The number of Indian students
studying in the United States
decreased, a new report found.
| see India, page 3 |
By Daniel Rothberg
Daily Trojan
A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that
former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is the
front-runner for the GOP ticket with support from 27
percent of registered Republicans in the state.
The poll also found support for the Occupy Wall
Street movement is divided along party lines.
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain
trails behind Romney with 20 percent of registered
California Republicans’ support, followed by Newt
Gingrich with 14 percent, Ron Paul with 6 percent and
Rick Perry with 3 percent.
While Romney’s support among California
primary voters has not wavered for much of the year,
his opponent has changed, said the director of the
Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics Dan Schnur. In a
USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll conducted in
September, Romney and Perry had 22 percent support
of Republican primary voters and Cain had 4 percent
support.
According to the most recent poll, among
supporters of the Tea Party, Cain has a slight lead of
three points over Romney.
Romney leads
poll, occupy
support strong
Despite recent allegations of sexual misconduct,
businessman Herman Cain is second in the polls.
| see Poll, page 3 |
Politics
By Kenny Lee
Daily Trojan
Though recent findings suggest video
gaming might be addictive, several of those
involved with USC’s video game program
said the issue probably affects a minority of
gamers.
A study published in the journal
Translational Psychiatry on Tuesday
showed frequent video game players display
a structural change in their brain similar
to that observed in gambling addicts. The
study, headed by Simone Kuhn of Ghent
University in Belgium, found 14-year-olds
who play video games frequently have more
gray matter in their striatum, a part of the
brain associated with rewarding feelings.
The study suggests that video gaming
addiction could be similar to that of
narcotics, though further research is needed.
Many of those at USC involved with video
games, however, said they feel studies like
these represent a specific minority.
Sanjay Madhav, who teaches video game
programming courses in the information
technology program, said he is skeptical of
the purported addictive qualities of video
games. He likened video games to any other
number of distractions that students occupy
themselves with.
“In general, these sorts of studies can be
misleading,” Madhav said. “Gaming is just
one of a plethora of recreational activities
that can become addicting for a small few.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a study on people
addicted to fantasy football shows that the
brain response is similar.”
Students involved in the gaming scene
at USC echoed Madhav’s opinions on the
addictiveness of gaming. Mark Platzer,
a junior majoring in music industry, and
Graham Hawes, a sophomore majoring
in computer science with an emphasis on
games, are members of USC eSports, a group
dedicated to competitive video game playing.
Platzer said he firmly believes student-gamers,
especially those at USC, do not let
gaming take over their lives completely.
“Even the most hardcore of gamers I know
will put their work before their games if it’s
an important enough project,” Platzer said.
“It’s more the traditional social life that gets
overshadowed by games.”
Hawes said he believes gaming is a lot of
fun, but that fun should not be confused as
an addictive quality.
“I don’t think the medium itself is more
dangerous in terms of addiction when you
compare it to things we consider addictive
right now, like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes,”
Hawes said. “Especially when you consider
the side-effects of those things.”
Josh Durica, a junior majoring in computer
science, said he could see video gaming as
potentially addictive.
“It’s definitely possible to spend too much
time on video games, just like it’s possible
to spend too much time on anything else,”
Durica said. “It’s possible to not want to do
any other work because you like gaming so
much. There’s definitely potential in getting
caught up in playing too many games.”
Gaming might be as addictive as drugs, study finds
Frequent video game playing
can alter brain structure in a
way similar to addictions.
Student Life
Kelvin Kuo | Daily Trojan
Stand up · Thousands of protestors gathered Thursday in Downtown Los Angeles as part of
Occupy L.A. A recent poll found 47 percent of Californians support the occupy movement.
What impact will Fresh &
Easy have on students
and the community?
Point/Counterpoint
Anna Wierzbowska | Daily Trojan
Don’t hate the player · The USC Gamers Network hosted an eight-hour video
game tournament, USC’s largest ever, in The Forum of the campus center in September.

Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912 | www.dailytrojan.com | VOL. 174, NO. 62 | Friday November 18, 2011
InDEX 2 · Q & A 4 · Opinion 5 · Lifestyle 8 · Classifieds 9 · Crossword 12 · Sports
Controversial poet:
Amiri Baraka read
avant-garde
poetry to students
Wednesday night.
Autzen
assaults: USC
seeks to snap
Oregon’s
21-game home
winning streak
on Sunday.
sports 12
lifestyle 5
opinion 4
weather
Mostly Sunny
hi 60
lo 48
today tomorrow
Mostly Sunny
hi 59
lo 45
Admissions
By Sommer Yesenofski
Daily Trojan
The number of students from
India at USC declined from fall 2010
to fall 2011, following a growing
trend at universities across the
nation.
India ranked fourth among the
top geographic areas outside the
United States for USC enrollment
with 1,265 students from India
enrolled at USC, which represents
a 15 percent decrease over the last
academic year, according to the
Office of International Services.
This year there was a 1 percent
drop in the number of students
from India currently enrolled at
universities in the United States.
Students from India comprise 14.4
percent of international college
students in the United States, which
remains the most sought after
destination for Indian students,
according to the 2011 Open Doors
New students
from India at
USC decrease
The number of Indian students
studying in the United States
decreased, a new report found.
| see India, page 3 |
By Daniel Rothberg
Daily Trojan
A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that
former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is the
front-runner for the GOP ticket with support from 27
percent of registered Republicans in the state.
The poll also found support for the Occupy Wall
Street movement is divided along party lines.
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain
trails behind Romney with 20 percent of registered
California Republicans’ support, followed by Newt
Gingrich with 14 percent, Ron Paul with 6 percent and
Rick Perry with 3 percent.
While Romney’s support among California
primary voters has not wavered for much of the year,
his opponent has changed, said the director of the
Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics Dan Schnur. In a
USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll conducted in
September, Romney and Perry had 22 percent support
of Republican primary voters and Cain had 4 percent
support.
According to the most recent poll, among
supporters of the Tea Party, Cain has a slight lead of
three points over Romney.
Romney leads
poll, occupy
support strong
Despite recent allegations of sexual misconduct,
businessman Herman Cain is second in the polls.
| see Poll, page 3 |
Politics
By Kenny Lee
Daily Trojan
Though recent findings suggest video
gaming might be addictive, several of those
involved with USC’s video game program
said the issue probably affects a minority of
gamers.
A study published in the journal
Translational Psychiatry on Tuesday
showed frequent video game players display
a structural change in their brain similar
to that observed in gambling addicts. The
study, headed by Simone Kuhn of Ghent
University in Belgium, found 14-year-olds
who play video games frequently have more
gray matter in their striatum, a part of the
brain associated with rewarding feelings.
The study suggests that video gaming
addiction could be similar to that of
narcotics, though further research is needed.
Many of those at USC involved with video
games, however, said they feel studies like
these represent a specific minority.
Sanjay Madhav, who teaches video game
programming courses in the information
technology program, said he is skeptical of
the purported addictive qualities of video
games. He likened video games to any other
number of distractions that students occupy
themselves with.
“In general, these sorts of studies can be
misleading,” Madhav said. “Gaming is just
one of a plethora of recreational activities
that can become addicting for a small few.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a study on people
addicted to fantasy football shows that the
brain response is similar.”
Students involved in the gaming scene
at USC echoed Madhav’s opinions on the
addictiveness of gaming. Mark Platzer,
a junior majoring in music industry, and
Graham Hawes, a sophomore majoring
in computer science with an emphasis on
games, are members of USC eSports, a group
dedicated to competitive video game playing.
Platzer said he firmly believes student-gamers,
especially those at USC, do not let
gaming take over their lives completely.
“Even the most hardcore of gamers I know
will put their work before their games if it’s
an important enough project,” Platzer said.
“It’s more the traditional social life that gets
overshadowed by games.”
Hawes said he believes gaming is a lot of
fun, but that fun should not be confused as
an addictive quality.
“I don’t think the medium itself is more
dangerous in terms of addiction when you
compare it to things we consider addictive
right now, like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes,”
Hawes said. “Especially when you consider
the side-effects of those things.”
Josh Durica, a junior majoring in computer
science, said he could see video gaming as
potentially addictive.
“It’s definitely possible to spend too much
time on video games, just like it’s possible
to spend too much time on anything else,”
Durica said. “It’s possible to not want to do
any other work because you like gaming so
much. There’s definitely potential in getting
caught up in playing too many games.”
Gaming might be as addictive as drugs, study finds
Frequent video game playing
can alter brain structure in a
way similar to addictions.
Student Life
Kelvin Kuo | Daily Trojan
Stand up · Thousands of protestors gathered Thursday in Downtown Los Angeles as part of
Occupy L.A. A recent poll found 47 percent of Californians support the occupy movement.
What impact will Fresh &
Easy have on students
and the community?
Point/Counterpoint
Anna Wierzbowska | Daily Trojan
Don’t hate the player · The USC Gamers Network hosted an eight-hour video
game tournament, USC’s largest ever, in The Forum of the campus center in September.